Road to Billings: Ponies claim Jug Beck title

Outside of the state wrestling meet, there may not be any meet in the state of Montana that compares to the Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic. The field is outstanding and Havre head coach Scott Filius even said recently, the competition was tougher than what would be found at state.

That’s part of what makes Havre’s first-place finish this past weekend in Missoula so impressive. The Blue Ponies used a total of five finalists to score a total of 219.5 points, 21 more than that of Great Falls High, the three-time defending champion at the Jug Beck coming into the weekend, the second-place finisher.

“It was probably one of the best overall performances we have had in years,” HHS head coach Scott Filius said. “We didn’t leave a lot of matches out there. The effort was great. And it was nice to beat Great Falls High. They were full strength and we were full strength, so it was outstanding.”

The only Havre wrestler who walked away with an individual title was Grayson Brenna, who earned a 6-0 decision in the championship match at 132 pounds over Chance Karst.

Brenna, who is bound for NAIA power Grand View next fall, not only won his weight class, he dominated it. In his five matches in the tournament, the senior did not lose a single point.

“It’s a tough tournament to win but he went through without giving up a single point,” Filius said. “He’s wrestling as well as any kid I’ve had in a long time.”

Brenna's run was impressive given the level of competition in the annual Jug Beck tourney. Not only are some of the best Montana team's in attendance, but some of the elite prep powers from Washington and Idaho are there as well.

But, Brenna was not the only Pony wrestler to have an impressive weekend.

Four other Havre wrestlers at least made it to the championship round at their respective weight classes, which is no easy feat.

Keegan Kennelly at 120 pounds, Parker Filius at 145 pounds, Jase Stokes at 160 and Jace Billy at 205 pounds all qualified for the finals before settling for second place. Yet, even though they each finished second, they were a huge part of Havre’s success as HHS had more finalists than any other team at the meet.

Other Havre wrestlers who did well and ended up placing at the meet, include Logan Pleniger, who pinned Haze Bell of Columbia Falls in 4:11 to earn third place at 126 pounds. Travis Adams also finished third for the Ponies in the heavyweight class, while Kody Pribyl finished a respectable fourth in the 152-pound weight class.

“We placed eight kids in the top four,” Filius said. “So overall, we did really, really well and this is a stepping stone for us. It’s great to win it, but we have to keep going forward. But the kids are really excited about these next three or four weeks of wrestling.”

In the end, Havre comes away feeling confident after coming out on top against Great Falls High, the top-ranked team in class AA, which knocked off the Ponies 40-20 in a dual just last Thursday, as well as 10 other AA opponents in addition to teams from Washington, Idaho and Wyoming.

“Oh sure, sure,” Filius said when asked of the dual loss to Great Falls High, “The dual was a warm-up for the tournament and when we got to the tournament, the kids just really took charge. And I think that was the best part.”

The Ponies will be back in action this Tuesday, when they dual CMR at the HHS gymnasium on senior night, Then, they will travel to Belgrade to the two-day Class A duals Friday. The event will run through Saturday.

38th annual Jug Beck Rocky Mountain Classic in Missoula

Team scores -- 1, Havre 219.5; 2, Great Falls 198.5; 3, University 141.5; 4, Central Valley 136; 5, Missoula Sentinel 132; 6, Lewiston 121; 7, Clarkston 112.5; 8, Powell 108.5; 9, Missoula Big Sky 107.5; 10, Coeur d'Alene 100; 11, Columbia Falls 82; 12, Helena Capital 77 ;13, Lake City 76; 14, Mead 75; 15, Great Falls CMR; 16, Kalispell Glacier 72.5; 17, Kalispell Flathead 79; 18, Helena 67; 19, Libby 55.5; 20, Belgrade 52.5; 21, Hamilton 52; t-22, Bozeman 51; t-22, Corvallis; 24, Ferris 49.5; 25, Ronan 47.5; 26, Lewistown 45.5; 27, Polson 44; 28, Frenchtown 35; 29, Missoula Hellgate 30; 30, Florence 20; 31, Butte 16; 32, Bonners Ferry 13; 33, Superior 3.

103 pounds

Semifinals -- Bjorn Schroeder, BOZ, maj dec Noah Wozney, POW, 13-3; Dalton Port, CLK, pin Kaleb Maciosek, CDA, 5:52.

Championship -- Schroeder, BOZ, dec Port, CLK, 9-5.

Third place -- Cameron Hegel, MSN, dec Devin Altenburg, CMR, 3-0.

Fifth place -- Wozney, POW, dec Maciosek, CDA, 7-0.

Seventh place -- Justin Gibson, GLA, maj dec Cody DeVall, FLT, 8-0.

113 pounds

Semifinals -- Sawyer Degen, BEL, maj dec Hunter Peterson, RON, 8-0; Spencer Clegg, CLK, dec Demo Koures, MBS, 4-1.

Championship -- Degen, BEL, dec Clegg, CLK, 11-7.

Third place -- Trae Vasquez, FLT, dec Cam Swanson, UHI, 9-3.

Fifth place -- Koures, MBS, pin Peterson, RON, :55.

Seventh place -- Caleb Birdwell, FRG, dec Zach Bade, MED, 8-3.

120 pounds

Semifinals -- Keegan Kennelly, HAV, dec Mason Fetters, CF, 9-2; Seth Schroeck, CAP, dec Jake Hegel, MSN, 3-0.

Championship -- Schroeck, CAP, dec Kennelly, HAV, 5-2.

Third place -- Hegel, MSN, dec Cody Warner, FTN, 4-0.

Fifth place -- Fetters, CF, pin Mikey Garrison, UHI, 2:34.

Seventh place -- Wyatt Gordon, MBS, pin Parker Adler, POL, 2:49.

126 pounds

Semifinals -- Jarren Komac, GFH, dec Logan Pleninger, HAV, 6-1; Bryson Beard, CV, dec Haze Bell, CF, 8-2.

Championship -- Beard, CV, dec Komac, GFH, 2-0.

Third place -- Pleninger, HAV, pin Bell, CF, 4:11.

Fifth place -- Chase Conner, COR, maj dec Ryder Day, GLA, 13-5.

Seventh place -- Ty Hendren, LEW, pin Asa Hoerner, MHG, 5:49.

132 pounds

Semifinals -- Chance Karst, POW, dec Jace Kovalicky, MSN, 4-0; Grayson Brenna, HAV, pin Cole Snyder, RON, 5:31.

Championship -- Brenna, HAV, dec Karst, POW, 6-0.

Third place -- Kovalicky, MSN, pin Snyder, RON, 3:33.

Fifth place --Jordan Komac, GFH, dec Marshall Bowen, LEW, 5-4.

Seventh place -- Bridger Beard, CV, maj dec Dylan Lewis, MHG.

138 pounds

Semfinals -- Shonn Roberts, CF, dec Tommy McMillen GFH, 4-3; Blake Beard, CV, dec Jarrett Degen, BEL, 2-1.

Championship -- Beard, CV, dec Roberts, CF, 3-1 (OT).

Third place -- Degen, BEL, dec McMillen, GFH, 4-2.

Fifth place -- Nic Urbach, POW, dec Noah Manibusan, HH, 7-3.

Seventh place -- Dylan Duffalo, MSN, Cody Decker, GLA, 4-3.

145 pounds

Semifinals -- Bryce Parson, LEW, dec Casey Dobson, GFH, 5-0; Parker Filius, HAV, maj dec Chandler Paulson, MSN, 8-0.

Championship -- Parson, LEW, tech fall Filius, HAV, 16-0.

Third place -- Dobson, GFH, maj dec Paulson, MSN, 10-0.

Fifth place --Braedon Orrino, CV, dec Colton Parham, POW, 7-2.

Seventh place -- Zach Freeman, CLK, tech fall, Christian Hunter, MED, 17-1.

152 pounds

Semifinals -- Ryan Klemp, LEW, pin Zach Crace, LIB, :48; Gage Bentley, GFH, dec Kody Pribyl, HAV, 7-0.

Championship -- Klemp, LEW, dec Bentley, GFH, 10-8.

Third place -- Crace, LIB, pin Pribyl, HAV, 3:55.

Fifth place --Quinn Barber, GLA, dec Killian Konda, LCT, 11-4.

Seventh place -- Brodie Long, HH, dec Bailey Atkinson, POW, 3-2.

160 pounds

Semifinals -- Kessler Leonard, GFH, dec Drake Randall, LEW, 10-5; Jase Stokes, HAV, pin Dylan Cronkhite, FER, 3:19.

Championship -- Leonard, GFH, dec Stokes, HAV, 9-4.

Third place -- Randall, LEW, dec Colton Johnson, CDA, 9-7.

Fifth place -- Braxten Wilcox, MBS, tech fall, Cronkhite, FER, 16-1

Seventh place -- Caiden Crawford, HH, pin Ben Manion, BOZ, 4:49.

170 pounds

Semifinals -- Luke Entzel, MBS, maj dec Jacob Davis, POW, 16-3; Walker Ferda, GFH, dec Levi Meinzinger, UHI, 7-4.

Championship -- Entzel, MBS, tech fall Ferda, GFH, 15-0.

Third place -- Garret Chapel, LIB, dec Meinzinger, UHI, 7-5.

Fifth place -- Davis, POW, dec Nick Grasseschi, CMR, 7-3.

Seventh place -- Corey Cook, LCT, pin Trevor Senn, MED, 4:59.

182 pounds

Semifinals -- Randy Keesler, GFH, pin Dylan Rabideaux, UHI, 3:43; Chauncye Garigan, CV, pin Philip Whitney, HAM, 3:23.

Championship -- Keesler, GFH, dec Garigan, CV, 6-2.

Third place -- Devin Blythe, FRG, dec Rabideaux, UHI, 7-2.

Fifth place -- Vince Rey, CDA, pin Whitney, HAM, :45.

Seventh place -- Stephen Giles, FER, pin Ty Dearcorn, POW, 3:44

205 pounds

Semifinals -- Dylan Beeler, CLK, dec Payton Sexe, CMR, 3-2 (OT); Jase Billy, HAV dec Colin Hammock, MSH, 8-1.

Championship -- Beeler, CLK, dec Billy, HAV, 3-1.

Third place -- Sexe, CMR, dec Hammock, MSN, 7-2.

Fifth place -- Michael Bumgarner, HAM, pin Kevin McLean, MED, 1:50.

Seventh place -- Conner Gordon, MBS, pin Mike Corrigan, POL, :58.

285 pounds

Semifinals -- Tate Orndorff, UHI, pin Zion Dixon, LCT, 1:28; Alan Schmitz, CAP, def Riley Stringer, POW, by withdrawal.

Championship -- Orndorff, UHI, pin Schmitz, CAP, 1:08.

Third place -- Travis Adams, HAV, dec Dixon, LCT, 4-2.

Fifth place -- Nick Nordell, CMR, def Stringer, POW, by withdrawal.

Seventh place -- Cody Wiers, BOZ, pin Hunter Sisemore, CLK, 4:03